What's Fun?

Patty Cakes: Bounces and Finger plays to share with your baby

Sharing finger plays and bounces are a great way to interact with your very young child with just the equipment you have at hand….your hands, knees, arms, and voice. Touch, words, rhythm, and fun meld together for a special bond but after counting piggies, going peek-a-boo, and playing patty cake, what else can you do with the baby?

Try these out!

One, Two, Three, Four, Five (As a Clapping Rhyme)1,2,3,4,5, [child in adult’s lap, clap hands around child]Once I caught a fish alive [hug child]6,7,8,9,10 [clap hands around child]Then I let it go again [tickle child up and down arms & legs]

With an older child you can switch from clapping to counting fingers and add:Why did you let it go? [hold out hands, palms up]Because it bite my finger so.Which finger did it bite?The little one, on the right. [hold up right pinkie]

This is the way the ladies rideTrippity trot, trippity trot [gently bounce]This is the way the gentleman rideClippity clop, clippity clop [bounce slightly harder]And this is the way the farmers rideHobbledy hoy, hobbled hoyHobbledy hobbledy over the wall! [bounce on both knees and then lift up child and swing down between legs for “over the wall”]